The monthly blood draws on the list

[Deanne]

I just had my first monthly blood draw for being on the list. The transplant center sent me a bunch of tubes with mailers and the instructions say to get my blood drawn and then take it to the post office. This is probably a very lame question, but do I have to take it directly to the post office, or do you think it's ok to just get it mailed somehow today - like by dropping it off at work so it goes out with the regular office mail? It's mostly laziness. The post office is a few miles away. Do I have to drive all the way over there?

[bette1]

You can just drop it in any mailbox.  I personally wouldn't put it in the office mail because it could get lost.  I always just dropped it in the mailbox myself.

[MooseMom]

My local post office is on the way from the lab, so I swing by and dump the box with the vial into one of the drive by post boxes.  But no, it doesn't have to be mailed from an official post office.  But I agree with Bette1; it's maybe best not to mail it from work just because it may get lost.  But there's nothing wrong, per se, with mailing it from work.

[Deanne]

Thanks Bette and MM! It's still sitting on my desk at the moment. I've had a bunch of meetings today, but I'll get it out and dropped off at a mailbox soon. It's nice to know I don't have to drive to the post office.

[okarol]

Jenna has to start doing these monthly draws. When she was on dialysis they were done by the unit so she never had to think about it, so it's a little confusing. There are vials and labels, but there's no lab slip or order. Does she just go to any lab and request a draw? Will she have to pay or will they most likely accept insurance?

[MooseMom]

Jenna has to start doing these monthly draws. When she was on dialysis they were done by the unit so she never had to think about it, so it's a little confusing. There are vials and labels, but there's no lab slip or order. Does she just go to any lab and request a draw? Will she have to pay or will they most likely accept insurance?

I suspect that the procedure you have to go through depends upon which agency collects the specimen.  Here in Chicagoland, it's an outfit called "Gift of Hope."  This is what I do each month; maybe it will be the same for Jenna, but I don't know for sure....

I go to the same lab I go to get my blood drawn for my regular neph appts.  I was told by the transplant clinic that there would probably be a draw fee imposed by the lab and that it would NOT be covered by insurance.  The first time I went to get the sample drawn, I nearly fell over when the lab told me it would be $40 a time!  That's a lot of money, and I was annoyed that I didn't have any choice in the matter.  The phlebotomist thought this was outrageous, and she suggested that I ask my neph to draw up a standing order.  So, after speaking with my neph's nurse, they drew up a standing order, good for 6 months at a time, for testing my electrolytes.  Well, they had to make up something. lol!  So, the neph gets "results" that he doesn't really need, but this way it is covered by my insurance.

You're right...there's no lab slip per se, but there is probably a label that Jenna has to put her name on along with the date of the draw.  She will have to mail it in the box provided within 7 days of the draw,otherwise it will be discarded.

I hope this helps, but if you have other questions, let me know, or you can phone me!

[KarenInWA]

I guess I was "lucky" when I was pre-D.  I had to go to the hospital once every other week for Aranesp shots that required blood draws anyway, so I just had them do it with that.  Never was a problem.  Now, of course, I get them done at D.

KarenInWA

[BASSMAN]

It was a bit of a problem for me.  The lab I normally use flat would not do it so I went to the a local  hospital lab and they did it no problem and also filed it on my insurance which covered it.  I also had to mail them myself.

[okarol]

  Thanks. I don't know why they don't give us instructions. A styrofoam box with labels and a shipping address arrived, that's all. They made us take that stupid "listing class' but they neglected to mention this. Oh and they have Jenna listed as "Sex: male." LOL Why am I not surprised?? 

[MooseMom]

I get the same set of instructions with each monthly box.  It is particularly important to fill in the section asking for details of any transfusions you have had in the past month.